The Transmigrated Cannon Fodder Alpha: She's So Sweet Now! - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Trouble Brewing

When Jiang Ningzhi woke up the next morning, she suddenly felt much more energetic.

She opened her eyes and her first instinct was to look at Chi Luoyao, who was still fast asleep beside her. Jiang Ningzhi had always been a quiet sleeper—she woke up exactly as she fell asleep—but she noticed that Luoyao, who had started the night eighteen feet away, was now curled up right against her side.

Luoyao’s head rested on Ningzhi’s shoulder, her long lashes trembling slightly in sleep. She looked as innocent and well-behaved as a young child.

“Zero-Five-One, are you there?” Jiang Ningzhi called out in her mind. The system had been so quiet since yesterday that she was worried it had abandoned her.

Zero-Five-One: “I am here, Host. Is something the matter?”

“Mhm. I feel a change in my body. I feel warm all over, and I don’t feel that constant, heavy fatigue. I’m curious why.”

Zero-Five-One: “It is like this, Host: Your previous weakness was due to your soul having just transmigrated. You were still integrating with the original body. As you survive longer in this world, your soul and body will become more synchronized.”

“I see.” Jiang Ningzhi thought for a moment, sensing there was more to it. “If it’s just about soul synchronization, what about the original body’s actual illness? If my body is getting better now, does that mean once the integration is 100%, the illness will disappear?”

Zero-Five-One: “No, Host. Integration only represents a stronger connection to this world. The underlying illness involves more complex plot elements that you have not yet unlocked. I cannot answer that further.”

This system was like a stubborn donkey—you had to whip it to make it move, and even then, it didn’t always go where you wanted. Jiang Ningzhi felt like she was stumbling in the dark, but she realized that as a “cannon fodder” character, there were likely many gaps in her setting that she’d have to uncover herself.

She was quick to adapt, though, and pushed the unsolvable problem to the back of her mind. “I want to check my current points. Since I’ve successfully married the Female Lead, I need to prepare for the upcoming Script Kill.”

The system mall panel appeared. In the top right corner, her points read: 610.

She was confused. She earned 10 points per day for surviving, and she had started with 100. She should only have 110.

Zero-Five-One: “Host, you earned 10 points for surviving one day. You also earned points for intimate behavior with the important character Chi Luoyao: +350 for the temporary marking, +100 for the kiss, and +50 for other behaviors like hugging and hand-holding. Combined with your initial 100, you have 610.”

“So many! I feel like I hit the jackpot overnight!” Jiang Ningzhi was shocked. She looked at the sleeping Chi Luoyao and felt like she had married a living, breathing, beautiful money tree.

Just as she was imagining a bright future, a soft knock came from the door.

Qian Rui: “Your Highness.”

“What is it?” Jiang Ningzhi answered quietly, but it still woke Chi Luoyao. Watching the princess struggle to open her eyes, Ningzhi whispered a soft “Morning~”.

Chi Luoyao realized she had been sleeping on Ningzhi’s shoulder. Her ear tips turned red with embarrassment, but she replied softly, “Morning, Your Highness.”

As they both sat up, Qian Rui entered but kept her head bowed.

Qian Rui: “Reporting to Your Highness: The Second Prince (Jiang Ningxing) and the Fifth Princess (Jiang Ningxiao) have arrived. They are waiting in the front hall, saying they’ve come to congratulate you on your wedding, and… to meet the Imperial Consort.”

Jiang Ningzhi frowned. Something felt wrong. The first “Script Kill” occurred six days from now at the palace banquet—the event where the Male Lead falls for the Female Lead. If they were going to meet in six days anyway, why rush here on the very first morning of the honeymoon?

She exchanged a look with Chi Luoyao. Both saw suspicion in the other’s eyes.

“I’ll go meet my brother and sister. You stay here and rest,” Jiang Ningzhi said while putting on her outer robe. “We’ll see them in a few days at the palace regardless.”

Chi Luoyao didn’t object. If Ningzhi wanted to shield her, she was happy to avoid the trouble. It seemed Ningzhi didn’t have a great relationship with her siblings, except for perhaps the Ninth Princess.

Before leaving, Ningzhi walked to the bed and looked at the dazed Luoyao. “Are you feeling… any discomfort?”

Chi Luoyao: “None at all. Your Highness needn’t worry.”

“That’s good.” Jiang Ningzhi was too shy to ask more. “Order whatever you’d like from the kitchen. I’ll be back soon. If you’re bored, feel free to walk in the garden.”

The Confrontation

Jiang Ningzhi walked into the front hall, but before she could even offer a greeting, a sharp, mean voice rang out.

Jiang Ningxing (2nd Prince): “Seventh Sister certainly puts on airs, making us wait this long.”

Jiang Ningxiao (5th Princess): “Doesn’t she? I suppose she’s too busy being intoxicated by her ‘gentle nest.’ After all, she married the capital’s number one Kunze.”

Jiang Ningzhi looked at the two of them. The system identified them as the 2nd Prince and 5th Princess. They peered behind her, looking for another figure.

Jiang Ningxiao: “Where is our sister-in-law? We came to congratulate you, yet she is so ill-mannered that she won’t even show her face?”

Jiang Ningxing: “Indeed. No matter how powerful Prince Yong is, she is just a Commandery Princess. Can she really look down on a Prince and Princess of the blood?”

They seemed ready to make a scene. Jiang Ningzhi’s voice turned cold and hard. “Luoyao was exhausted by the wedding yesterday. She is resting and is not fit to receive guests.”

She sat down in the main host’s chair. The two siblings looked at each other in surprise. Usually, Jiang Ningzhi was soft-tempered and easy to bully. Today, she was standing her ground. Was it because she now had Prince Yong’s backing?

Jiang Ningxiao: “Even so, she should come to pay her respects and apologize before returning to rest. Are you hiding her because of Prince Yong’s power, or is it Seventh Sister who is giving her this ‘courage’?”

Jiang Ningzhi let out a faint cold laugh. These two had “Villain” written all over their faces. “Since Luoyao married me, I am naturally the one giving her support. However, for Fifth Sister to barge in on the first day of our marriage to cause trouble… I wonder if the Imperial Mother would find that acceptable if I reported it?”

She didn’t want to waste time on these “cannon fodder” villains.

Jiang Ningxing set down his teacup, his eyes full of disdain. “It seems Seventh Sister truly got a remarkable Consort. Now you even dare to defy me and Fifth Sister. Truly remarkable.”

He clapped mockingly and stood up. Jiang Ningxiao followed suit. “If Seventh Sister doesn’t welcome us, we needn’t stay. You can hide her for now, but I want to see how long you can keep her tucked away.”

They stormed out in a huff.

Jiang Ningzhi didn’t care about their threats. She sat motionless, thinking. The original owner must have been bullied a lot, which created the habit of these two not taking her seriously. Today’s “soft needle” resistance would likely lead to them looking for more trouble to “save face.”

“Zero-Five-One, open the system mall. I want to exchange some items.”

She knew the palace banquet in six days would be a minefield. It was the first Script Kill. If someone wanted to kill her, she wasn’t going to sit there and wash her neck for the blade.

In her past life, she had built a business empire from scratch. She was no soft bun that anyone could knead.

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